Healthcare facilities have had a tremendous amount of back injuries and workmen compensation claims, a majority of which were caused by staff manually lifting and repositioning patients that have at least some difficulty. Patients at times were also injured by not being lifted or repositioned properly.
Today, most healthcare facilities have purchased electro-mechanical lift equipment to help with the lifting and repositioning of patients. The purchase of lifts did not automatically reduce injuries at the rate the facilities had hoped. Some staff still continue to perform lifts or repositioning without use of the lift equipment.